Patching a plastic radiator tank ?

S.Crum · Jul 14, 2010

I noticed a faint anti freeze smell from my F-150 last night when I got home so this morning I started looking. I found a small crack in the side of the plastic radiator tank that is weeping. I was told several years ago that these tanks can't be epoxied and must be replaced. ($80 on my old Eldorado 7 years ago). With all the new space age epoxys on the market today, Has anyone had success at this? The weep isn't in a stress point, it's in the side of the tank and could be easily patched.
Thanks

camju · Jul 14, 2010

I'm not sure this will hold on a rad but I fix alot of plastic with heat gun and hot glue gun. I get the plastic hot to the point that it gets soft then put lots of hot glue around the cracks seems to hold good on most things eg.tail lights, bummpers,toys and even my jeans(with a patch on inside of coarse)

John Harmon · Jul 14, 2010

Clean real well and wipe down with one of the paint thinners which will remove oil and grease traces[I use Laquer thinner] let dry and patch with JB Weld.

twopop · Jul 14, 2010

you should be able to go to a rad. shop and get a stick of plastic they use to fix tank cracks.you melt it on with a propane torch.

Bob · Jul 14, 2010

Is this an end tank on the actual RADIATOR or a remote "coolant recovery tank"?

Thresherman · Jul 14, 2010

Try one of the plastic welders you can get at Harbor Freight and others. It pretty cheap and does a nice job, if your patient.

Two Banger · Jul 14, 2010

I would think the cheapest way to go would be JB Weld, I've always had good luck with it.

bradk · Jul 14, 2010

Don't waste your time trying to repair.Almost every mechanic has been down this road.If it does stop the leak,it will be a short lived bandaid.

Shop around.You'll find a new one for under a hunderd bucks.

Janicholson · Jul 14, 2010

Rough it up where the crack is for an inch and a half in all directions.
Purchase Epoxy for plastic (not regular, it is yellowish and smells like model glue!)
purchase fiberglass mesh cloth (small amount will do)
put a layer of epoxy on and embed the mesh into it while it is wet. Put on more epoxy and another layer of fiber. Put on one last epoxy and fiber, then cover with epoxy and place a glad bag type plastic (polyethylene) sheet over the patch and smooth it out with your hand to get air out of it. Let it set for 24 hrs. I would not use the 5 minute style of plastic epoxy, as it sets up faster than it can be worked for this application. Jim

MT pockets · Jul 14, 2010

I had the same problem on my 92 dodge.I tried J B Weld and several other epoxy products to no avail. I asked in the NAPA store if they had anything to patch a plastic radiator with. Salesman sold me a battery repair kit for about 5 or 6 dollars and guaranteed it to work. That was in June of 09 and I drive that truck almost daily and I have made several long trips and not a drop of coolant has leaked where I put the patch on. Battery Repair Kit. Steve in Texarkana.

Bill from Scotland · Jul 15, 2010

I would just empty the tank, heat a soldering iron and melt the plastic around the crack , add some more plastic from something similar and just melt into place, seems to work most times and costs nothing other than a few minutes time.
Bill

ASEguy · Jul 16, 2010

I would put a new one in it and pressure test it for another leak. We found the plastic tanks would almost always crack at the top due to the heat of the steam from low coolant(Coolant is cooler). Hope that helps. Gerard

Patching a plastic radiator tank ?

S.Crum

Well-known Member

camju

Member

John Harmon

Member

twopop

Well-known Member

Bob

Well-known Member

Thresherman

Member

Two Banger

Member

bradk

Well-known Member

Janicholson

Well-known Member

MT pockets

Member

Bill from Scotland

Member

ASEguy

Well-known Member

Similar threads